Despite his mother's ecstatic cheers from beside him and his grandfather's curiosity overlooking the documents gathered at the dinner table, Souta still could not fathom the situation. Out of everything he had hoped to discover pertaining to his sister in that era, he never expected to stumble upon her marriage certificate.

"Could it really be true?" His mother asked elatedly, her food nearly forgotten in front of her as she examined the small parchment in her hand. "Kagome … she is alive?" She asked incredulously, renewed hope alighting her dark irises as she stared at both Souta and grandpa.

Souta nodded. "Yeah … about five hundred years in the past, give or take…"

"And married!" Grandpa added, his eyes skimming over one of the scrolls. "Why I can hardly believe it myself! It's a good thing I was looking for these papers, otherwise we would never have known."

"Our Kagome has gotten married?" His mother breathed, smiling from ear to ear.

It was hard to believe, and yet, Souta wondered if it was really true. Did his sister seriously get hitched in feudal japan? Why? Sure, he could understand that falling in love was not a complete impossibility and that it could happen at any instance, but what about the promise she made to him? What about her family here?

"I'm assuming this is the property deed," Grandpa exclaimed, procuring a small scroll which he had unraveled moments ago, and much like the marriage certificate, its writing was also faded and in the same penmanship, written under the same name: High Priestess Kaede. "It shows only one person with the Higurashi name, and the name matches up to the same year on the certificate. It is indeed our Kagome!" He smiled, tears of joy springing at the corners of his eyes.

Souta's mom accepted the aged scroll from his outstretched hands across the table, and her cheeks warmed, a hand cupping her cheek as she smiled happily at the thought. "So, it is true!" Tears filled her eyes, and with the napkin on her lap, she wiped them away. "This is wonderful. I wonder what sort of man Kagome married. Yuuta, is it?"

The sight of both his mother and grandpa smiling at this unexpected discovery brought a smile to his own face; it'd been so long since he'd seen their joy, their tears of happiness, but even still, his smile soon fell. Somehow, it had surprised him, how accepting they were of this. Unlike himself, they had easily accepted that Kagome would remain there, in another time period, married to a man of the past as though it were normal, and all he could think about was whether or not she was safe. "There must be a way to bring her back…"

"Oh, Souta…" His mother frowned, lowering the scroll. "We've tried so many times, but I'm afraid it's now beyond our control," She replied softly. "What matters right now is that she is safe and that she is not alone anymore."

He nodded; his hands clenched beneath the table. But how could they be certain that was true? What if she wasn't fine? What if she was struggling? What if she'd been forced to marry?

An earlier conversation with Hitomi surfaced in his thoughts, and recalling the words which she had spoken to him at the museum, he felt his frustrations heighten. According to her, women were no more than servants to their lords and husbands; imagining the very image of his sister groveling at any man's feet left him scowling at the dinner table, his stew forgotten.

'No, Kagome would never let something like that happen; besides, she's too strong spirited to let anyone push her around,' He mused thoughtfully.

Despite his own worries, his mother smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure she is. After all, she's inherited the property, and not only that, she's gotten married. I'm sure she must be happy. Then, so must we. Right?"

"But how do we know that?"

His grandpa suddenly interrupted. "Judging by the clothing Kagome wore when we last saw her, she was likely living among the common folk of that era, and according to what's written on this deed here," He pointed at the yellowed parchment in front of his dinner plate. "it was signed by the High Priestess of that village, and that person handed over the rights to the land."

"But why?"

"How should I know?" He asked.

His mother hummed softly. "Who did it belong to before it was handed to Kagome?"

Grandpa didn't have to search far, especially since the lacquer black box was seated right upon the table beside him, and as he sifted through the papers curiously, he held up another worn paper. "It says here it belonged to High Priestess Kaede, the very person who handed the rights to Kagome after. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Kagome must have won her favor somehow. Why, it's not every day that an ordinary person would be granted land," He added. "If I had to take a guess, I'd say she is probably living a better life than before, and with a husband there, she will have someone to depend on."

"So that's how it happened?" His mother chuckled. "It would seem Kagome is in good hands after all. I feel greatly relieved by this. I was worried at first, especially since it seemed she was having a hard time there, but it seems she's adjusted just fine. I can rest easy knowing this."

Those very words struck him hard, the guilt of knowing what lay within text plaguing his every thought, and Souta glanced down at the book on his lap. Should he tell them? What would be the benefit now, besides the fact that it's a picture drawn of Kagome? He was sure his mother and grandpa would want to look at it in more detail, but if they did, they would no doubt lose their moment of happiness, and that was the last thing he wanted.

With that thought in mind, he feigned elation in the moment, if only to appease his mother's worries concerning his inquiries about Kagome's safety, and instead, listened silently to the conversation. Back and forth, both his mother and grandpa conversated about Kagome and her mysterious husband and whether or not Kagome had many children and if those children had inherited blue eyes like their father.

Despite all that had happened over the past five months, today had been quite and interesting day, odd overall, but still fulfilling in the sense that he felt as if he had accomplished something, as small as it was. Not only had he helped grandpa locate the documents earlier and in turn discover his sister's marriage certificate, but the date's in which she'd married and signed ownership of the land matched eerily similar with the same character in the book which he kept securely upon his lap; the only difference between the dates was the two-year gap.

Closing his eyes and hoping to drown out the voices of his mom and grandpa talking animatedly at the table, Souta tried to recall the last conversation he'd had with Kagome. Maybe there had been something there that he'd missed? Something important which could help him better understand the situation at hand?

The sound of the clock ticking just above the stove top distracted him well enough to drown out the voices around him, and as he fell into a more relaxed state of mind, his body suddenly felt weightless. And then, a torrent of fading blackness engulfed him, his muddle-headed confusion vanishing and replaced with a numbing sensation, and he opened his eyes within his subconscious.

In the memory he envisioned, Souta saw himself standing just outside the house, on a familiar chilly evening, the night air sweeping through his thin pajamas. As though he'd taken a trip through time, his eyes found the incredible sight of the Goshinboku, illuminated by an ethereal light, rippling just at its bark in a distorted fashion.

Though the sight left him utterly speechless and perturbed, perhaps even a little frightened, he could not deny his own curiosity. And so, mustering up his courage, he approached the tree, until he was no more but a few feet away; from there, he could feel a cool breeze drawing him near, the faint outline of trees manifesting within the distortion, and he swallowed nervously.

Footsteps sounded softly behind him and preparing himself, mentally and emotionally, he turned, his gaze falling upon his older sister. Just as he remembered her, she was standing there, his hiking bag attached to her back, filled to the brim with too many necessities, and she was frowning sadly at him, her hands firmly holding the straps.

"Souta…"

"Why do you have to go back there? Those people … didn't they treat you unfairly?"

The vision of his sister nodded somberly, the scars within her heart not fully healed, but she approached him slowly, her aqua gaze shifting warily to the tree behind him. Only when she paused at his side did she turn to him, tears fresh behind her strong eyes. "You're right. It was difficult, I'll admit, but I shouldn't blame them. Just as I was scared, so were they."

"Then stay. No one is forcing you to go back there," He exclaimed. But to his surprise, she only shook her head, and he found himself confused by this. No? Did he forget something important? "What is it? Are you being manipulated?" He asked carefully.

"I keep having these dreams, and in those dreams, the village is caught in flames, and the faces I once knew … were covered in blood," She admitted, pointing towards the bark.

It dawned on him in that instant. How could he forget? Ever since she returned, she'd been plagued by endless nightmares of that place, and on that night, it had been so bad, that she had decided to leave. What a coincidence that the Goshinboku Tree happened to manifest its mysterious light. Souta's gaze narrowed at the thought. So, it was connected to her dreams after all, but whether or not it was a demon or something other worldly, he couldn't be certain.

"I know it might sound crazy, Souta, but as crazy as all of this sounds, I keep hearing this voice call out to me, as though its being whispered on the wind, and even now in my dreams," She admitted somberly. "Save us, thus is your fate. That's what it keeps telling me…"

Russet eyes widened at this realization. A voice? While he stood there, watching the image of his sister await his response calmly, he found he could not form one, in fact, he was left speechless, uncertain whether or not Kagome had in fact revealed some truth in any of this long before. And yet, there was some familiarity, he was sure. The dreams, the voices, and they were all clearly linked to the light which had manifested around the Goshinboku, but whatever that light was … well, it was completely beyond Souta's understanding.

So, what was it?

There was a stir in the breeze just then, the leaves at his feet dancing in circles between him and his sister, but when he noticed something take shape right before his eyes, his mouth fell agape. Standing just a head taller, and dressed in a similar fashion as the young man he'd briefly acquainted himself with at the National Museum, Souta found himself caught within the deep forest gaze of Minamino, the young man whose countenance seemed just as forlorn as the image beside him.

"It's you…"

Sparing only the slightest glance to the girl beside him, Souta watched as the older man approached him, and stepping out of his path, he watched in surprising and bewildered fascination as the image acted on its own accord; Minamino was inspecting the Goshinboku Tree with curious interest, his gaze sweeping its distorted length with mild curiosity. It was only after a deafening minute that his voice pulled him from his reverie.

"Perhaps the tree is a demon in disguise with the ability to produce hallucinations," He began slowly, his words calm. "Though it could be the tree itself is—"

"Infused with spiritual power," Souta answered, already knowing the rest of the dialogue since it replayed like a mantra in his head since he left the National Museum. "You told me that, and I still have no idea what you mean."

And Minamino turned at this, his hands shoved into the pockets of his beige overcoat, though he did not wear a smile, nor did he say a word. Instead, a heavy silence fell between them, the likes which left Souta feeling incredibly uncomfortable.

"Though I know it's entirely useless to ask, since you're just a figment of my imagination and can only reply with answers we've already discussed, I still find you incredibly suspicious," He exclaimed, crossing his arms. "I overheard you and Botan talk about a weird device, and you were speaking about other strange things like Human World, Demon World and Spirit World. Just who are you?"

Minamino did not reply, but instead, he smiled a polite and unnerving smile, the likes which only frustrated Souta. Without even a care in the world, he stood at a towering height before him, the wind blowing his burgundy tresses over his shoulders, and for a moment, he thought he saw a flicker of amber in those forest green eyes of his, his lips curving into an unexpected smirk, the likes which took him aback; Souta didn't recall ever seeing that sort of expression on the man's face, and it honestly shocked him, morbidly so.

Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. After all, this was only his imagination and nothing more. "Look. I'm going to get straight to the point. That device is capable of opening portals and dispelling barriers. I heard all of it. Like I told you before, about the tree … as you can see right here … I think this could be the answer to bringing my sister back from that place. It's already been five months."

Those forest orbs flickered to the image of his sister a few feet away, her countenance void of any emotion, standing still as though time had frozen for her. His gaze didn't linger long however as it returned to Souta, and with it followed a slight and curious incline of Minamino's head, as though he found the information quite interesting.

Feeling as though he were being taunted, the image before him clearly refusing to give him any answers, regardless of truth or fiction, Souta felt his frustration only rise. Out of spite, he willed his subconscious to erase Minamino from sight, but what he didn't expect was for the young man to remain standing, unmoved and unbothered.

"What the—" He gasped, staring flabbergasted when the image refused to vanish from sight, and yet he remained fixed to his position, a delicate brow raised as though clearly amused by his attempt. "How is that even possible?"

"That's confidential!" A booming feminine voice exclaimed from behind him.

Caught off guard by the voice, especially since it was not Kagome's, he turned, staggering on his feet, his eyes widening when he noticed another familiar face appear before him, the image of his sister nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was staring eye to eye with the blue haired woman, friend of Minamino. Botan.

"We can't tell you something important like that!" She replied, huffing, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "Don't think we weren't aware of you following us earlier, Souta!" She suddenly rounded on him; a finger pointed directly at his face.

"Huh?! W-what? How do you know my name?"

"Souta!"

A dull pain reverberated from the back of his head, and he felt a fuzziness cloud his senses. As Minamino stood alongside Botan to chant his name, his eyes transfixed to their lips confusedly as the pain intensified, he suddenly felt a ringing in his ears. Just then, the dreamlike state he'd envisioned moments before suddenly crumbled, the voices muffling and then, he felt gravity pull him down its mountainous steeps, and he awoke with a start.

"Souta. Oh, you must be exhausted…" His mom exclaimed worriedly. "If you're not feeling well, why don't you lay down?"

Somewhat flustered from what he'd just experienced, he reassured his mother and grandpa he was alright. As he allowed himself a few more bites of his food, which he realized was only barely warm, he couldn't help but wonder why he had envisioned Minamino and his friend in that instance when he had only called for Kagome; either way, it had effectively freaked him out enough that he no longer felt an appetite.

"Can I be excused?" He asked moments after to which his mom nodded.

From there, he stood up and gathered his plate and bowl and placed them onto the counter behind him, saying good night to his family members before stepping out of the kitchen's archway. When he arrived in the living room, he paused at the staircase behind the sofa, but before ascending, he noticed Buyou staring out the window curiously, his tail swaying from side to side.

Curious, Souta moved to look behind the feline, but he could see nothing, nothing but the darkness of twilight enveloping the skies. Although he should have resumed his trek up the stairs and to his bedroom, he found his gaze drifting towards the lone tree in his yard, beyond the snow covered ground; it was nothing but a shadow erected from the earth now, its many branches bare, but he felt a strange inclination to approach it.

"Souta? I thought you were going to bed," His mother called from the kitchen. "Where are you going this late at night?"

With his jacket already on and the door propped open, the cool air blowing inside, he turned at his mother's voice, and he couldn't help but awkwardly rub his neck, smiling as she approached him. "Actually, I wanted a little air. I won't stay out too long," He promised.

A weak smile graced her countenance just then, and as though understanding his feelings, she nodded. Reaching for the green scarf hanging off the coat rack beside the door, his mother affectionately wrapped it around him, enough that not even a trace of his neck or chin could be seen; it was the same scarf Kagome had knitted for him when she was still a high school student. "Then at least wear this before you step out," She replied.

Souta touched the soft material thoughtfully, and once his mother had finished seeing to his scarf's placement, he stepped out of the house. Descending the stairs from the sliding glass door, he slowly made his way across the snow-covered landscape, snow crunching with every step he took. It was cloudy, the air especially chilly, and he shivered, pulling the scarf higher above his mouth so he could breathe a little easier.

As soon as he arrived at the base of the Goshinboku, its appearance seeming nonthreatening, he stared at it for the longest time. There was nothing amiss, nothing strange about it, and as he approached it closer, he placed his hand upon its bark. It was solid, and he clenched his hand. "If you really are a demon, your tricks are getting old…" He commented.

Perhaps he was waiting for a response, for something to happen that would confirm this suspicion, but nothing happened, nothing besides the moan of the wind rattling the branches above him. And then, something moved at his feet, his gaze shifting down, but when he realized it was only Buyou, rubbing up against his leg, he sighed. "I guess you're worried too, huh?" He asked.

"I know it might sound crazy, Souta, but as crazy as all of this sounds, I keep hearing this voice call out to me, as though its being whispered on the wind, and even now in my dreams … Save us, thus is your fate. That's what it keeps telling me…"

His eyes narrowed at the memory. Had he not delved deeper into his thoughts, he might have forgotten those bits of important information, and while it still seemed unclear to Souta exactly what was going on, he knew one thing was certain; those dreams and the voice were all connected to the tree. Whether or not the tree was a demon, a spirit or even a portal into the past, the only way he could attain those answers was if he could somehow manage to meet those two people again. Minamino and Botan.

A white snowflake, followed after by a few more, fell upon his clenched hand upon the bark, and easing his tense expression, he pulled away from the Goshinboku, his head turned upwards. It was snowing. "I wonder if it's snowing over there right now…"